1
as in raw
being such as found in nature and not altered by processing or refining
a sizable spill of crude oil along a coastline is the worst kind of environmental disaster
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2
as in primitive
belonging to or characteristic of an early level of skill or development
the crude stone tools that those prehistoric peoples used
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3
as in vulgar
depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society
crude jokes can be considered sexual harassment
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4
as in crass
lacking in refinement or good taste
any discussion of one's money is considered crude by the club's blue-blooded members
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5
as in clumsy
hastily or roughly constructed
a crude hut that was constructed by some shipwrecked sailors
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crude
Adjective
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My restaurant specializes in this dish of raw fish ‘cooked’ in fresh citrus juice.
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Across her decades-long career, Atwood’s books have consistently been described as controversial or explicit for their raw and inventive depictions of power, gender, and politics.
Adjective
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These few extra channels—combined with some sounds ripped from an expansion for the MSX, another 8-bit console—were enough to transcend the Game Boy’s original limitations while still evoking the handheld system’s primitive beauty.
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Likewise, primitive asteroidal bodies are somewhat like fossilized remnants of the building blocks of the solar system's planets, including Earth.
Adjective
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Others were removed early on for vulgar or inappropriate comments, according to a PGA Tour source with knowledge of the events, with five spectators in total ejected from the tournament with six holes to go.
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In recent years, Trae Young has repeatedly tormented the Knicks at the famed Madison Square Garden, turning clutch shots and postgame showmanship into vulgar chants from New York fans.
Adjective
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Like a more crass, animated Seinfeld, Rocko deals with the mundanities and absurdities of daily life.
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With the games having kicked off, the sport has shown its ineffable power to supplant crass and capitalistic overreach.
Adjective
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This has, in many cases, led to some clumsy looking solutions at venues across North America.
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An early furor over accepting valuable gifts, including designer spectacles and Taylor Swift concert tickets, was followed by a series of policy U-turns, especially clumsy attempts to cut welfare spending that stirred anger in Labour ranks.
Adjective
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So there’s already a natural connection between Steinbach and Anderson.
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In their draft pick and salary cap reality, a trade seems possible, and the above teams would all be natural candidates for a variety of reasons.
Adjective
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Many are rudimentary and low-stakes, but the meaningful ones are still buried within the total volume.
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But before long, professors complained that incoming freshmen lacked even rudimentary math skills.
Adjective
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Counterculture Yippies would turn up at a 1970 Blood, Sweat & Tears show at Madison Square Garden, carrying obscene banners outside and dumping manure by the front gate.
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Yippies would turn up at a 1970 Blood, Sweat & Tears show at Madison Square Garden, carrying obscene banners outside and dumping manure by the front gate.
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Cite this Entry
“Crude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crude. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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